Power electronic modules are semiconductor packages that are used in power electronic circuits. Power electronic modules are typically used in vehicular and industrial applications, such as in inverters and rectifiers. The semiconductor components included within the power electronic modules are typically insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) semiconductor chips or metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) semiconductor chips. The IGBT and MOSFET semiconductor chips have varying voltage and current ratings. Some power electronic modules also include additional semiconductor diodes (i.e., free-wheeling diodes) in the semiconductor package for overvoltage protection. Typically, to bond a Cu bond wire to a Cu pad within a power electronic module, the Cu pad is first plated with a Ni based metal layer followed by a layer of Pd. The Cu bond wire is then ball bonded to the Pd layer.
For these and other reasons, there is a need for the present invention.